<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
<html>
<head>
  <title>BBC SPORT | Football | Euro 2008 | Netherlands | Van Basten pays tribute to Russia</title>
  <meta name="keywords" content="BBC, Sport, BBC Sport, bbc.co.uk, world, uk, international, foreign, british, online, service">
  <meta name="OriginalPublicationDate" content="2008/06/21 22:28:04">
  <meta name="UKFS_URL" content="/sport1/hi/football/euro_2008/netherlands/7371364.stm">
  <meta name="IFS_URL" content="/sport2/hi/football/euro_2008/netherlands/7371364.stm">
  <meta name="ROBOTS" content="NOARCHIVE">
  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8">
  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/shared/css/printthispage.css">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" topmargin="0" leftmargin="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">
  <div class="logo">
    <img src="/sol/shared/img/printer_friendly/sport_logo.gif" width="197" height="34" alt="BBC SPORT">
  </div>
  <div class="headline">
    Van Basten pays tribute to Russia
  </div>

  
    
      
      <div class="bo">
    
    
      
        Basel, 21 June 2008
      
    
      
        <br />
      
    
    </div>
  

  
    
      
      <div class="bo">
    
    
      
        <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/ArticleSearchPhrase?contenttype=-1&sortBy=DateUploaded&phrase=Euro%202008&phrase=Football" style="rightarrow" target="_blank">
      
    
      
        606 debate
      
    
      
        </a>
      
    
      
         |

      
    
      
        <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/euro2008/" style="rightarrow" target="_blank">
      
    
      
        Blog
      
    
      
        </a>
      
    
      
        <br />
      
    
    </div>
  

  

  

  

  
    
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        <b>
      
    
      
        Netherlands coach Marco van Basten paid tribute to Russia after they knocked his side out of Euro 2008 with a brilliant extra-time quarter-final win.
      
    
      
        </b>
      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
The Dutch lost 3-1 and Van Basten, who now stands down as coach, admitted: "The Russians played a lot better than we did and deserved their victory. 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
"I can live with the indisputable fact that they were better than us. 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
"We delivered some remarkable performances in the first round, but today we could not repeat those."

      
    
    
  

  
    
      
      <div class="bo">
    
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
Netherlands were run ragged by a magical performance from Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin, who set up the crucial second goal in extra time and then got his name on the scoresheet four minutes from the end. 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
    </div>
  

  
    
      
      <div class="ibox">
    
    
      
        <table >
      
    
      
        <tr>
      
    
      
        <td width="5">
      
    
      
        </td>
      
    
      
        <td class="fact">
      
    
      
        <!--Smva-->
      
    
      
        <b>
      
    
      
        Now, we have to confront the future. But it will be without me
      
    
      
        </b>
      
    
      
        <br />
      
    
      
        <!--Emva-->
      
    
      
        <!--Smva-->
      
    
      
        <!--Smva-->
      
    
      
        Edwin van der Sar
      
    
      
        <!--Emva-->
      
    
      
        <!--Emva-->
      
    
      
        </td>
      
    
      
        </tr>
      
    
      
        </table>
      
    
    
  

  
    
      
        
        </div>
      
      <div class="bo">
    
    
      
        
			
	



Van Basten believes the Dutch were simply outplayed by Arshavin and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
"We had a lot of problems with the attackers Pavlyuchenko and Arshavin throughout the game," added Van Basten, who scored the second goal for Netherlands in their 2-0 win over USSR in the final of Euro 1988. 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
"That really is the reason we couldn't come into the game." 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
The game also marked the end of goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar's Netherlands career, with the Manchester United stopper retiring from international football. 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
The 37-year-old is their record cap holder with 128 and he made his debut in 1995 under then coach Guus Hiddink - who is now in charge of Russia. 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        <!--SvideoInStoryC-->
      
    
      
        <!--Semp-->
      
    
      
        <!--Swarning-->
      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        Please turn on JavaScript.
      
    
      
         Media requires JavaScript to play. 
      
    
      
        <!--Ewarning-->
      
    
      
        <!--Eemp-->
      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        Van der Sar admits Russia deserved win
      
    
      
        <!--EvideoInStoryC-->
      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
Van der Sar, who also equalled France defender Lilian Thuram's record of 16 appearances in European Championship finals, said: "We were not good enough to beat this Russian side. 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
"One has to admit it, they played fantastically well. It is really a pity to leave the tournament in this way after having started so brilliantly. 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        
"Now, we have to confront the future. But it will be without me. This evening, one shouldn't criticise anybody, it isn't the time to point fingers at anybody." 

      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
      
        <p />
      
    
    </div>
  

<div class="footer">
Story from BBC SPORT:<br>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/football/euro_2008/netherlands/7371364.stm<br>
<br>
Published: 2008/06/21 22:28:04 GMT<br>
<br>
&copy; BBC MMVIII<br>
</div>
</body>
</html>
